What's the data for sectors, provinces?
Canada’s labour market softened in April, with job vacancies falling by 16,800—or 3.2%—to 501,300, marking the first notable monthly decline in nearly a year, according to Statistics Canada (StatCan).
As a result, the national job vacancy rate dipped to 2.8%, down from 2.9% in March. That figure represents the lowest rate since October 2017, StatCan reported.
On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies dropped sharply by 91,400 positions, or 15.4%.
As the number of unfilled jobs declined, the pressure on job seekers increased.
“There were 3.1 unemployed persons for every job vacancy in April, up from 2.9 in March,” said StatCan. “On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio was up by 0.8. This increase was the result of a decrease in job vacancies (-90,000; -15.3%, excluding territories) coupled with an increase in the number of unemployed persons (+188,500; +13.9%). Over the same time period, the unemployment rate increased from 6.2% to 6.9%.”
Job vacancies in Canada dropped to 524,300 (-20,600; -3.8%) in the first quarter of 2025, comparable to the pre-COVID-19 average of 506,300 recorded from 2017 to 2019, StatCan noted.
Sector-specific data showed declines in job openings for finance and insurance (-4,000; -18.0%) and wholesale trade (-2,700; -13.7%), according to StatCan’s April report.
Vacancies in wholesale trade have now fallen for two consecutive months, with April figures reaching the sector’s lowest level since 2017. Despite the monthly decline, job openings in finance and insurance were relatively stable compared to April 2024, though still down nearly 60% from the peak in April 2022.
Health care and social assistance (4.1%) and accommodation and food services (4.0%) posted the highest job vacancy rates. However, both sectors also recorded the largest year-over-year declines in openings—down 23.9% and 21.7% respectively. Construction saw a significant drop as well, with vacancies falling 13.8% from April 2024.
Across the provinces, four experienced notable decreases. British Columbia led the losses, shedding 7,300 positions (-8.5%), followed by Alberta (-6,300; -9.4%), New Brunswick (-1,600; -16.8%), and Newfoundland and Labrador (-1,500; -26.3%).
Despite the downward trend, Manitoba and Saskatchewan posted the highest job vacancy rates in the country at 3.3%. In contrast, Newfoundland and Labrador (2.1%) and New Brunswick (2.3%) recorded the lowest rates.
Summer-related job postings in Canada have declined this year compared to recent years, according to a report from Indeed.
Meanwhile, nearly 30% of hiring managers across Canada anticipate that staff turnover will increase before the year’s end, according to an Express Employment Professionals report.
